Display device for displaying character information, information processing apparatus including display device, and character information display method

ABSTRACT

A display device includes a display portion, a display processing portion, a detection processing portion, and a replacement processing portion. The display processing portion displays a plurality of pieces of character information as a list in a display area set in the display portion. The detection processing portion detects specific character information from among the plurality of pieces of character information displayed by the display processing portion, the specific character information being character information whose display size exceeds a size of the display area. The replacement processing portion, when the detection processing portion detects the specific character information, replaces each instance of a specific word among words included in the plurality of pieces of character information displayed by the display processing portion, with an abbreviation of the specific word, the specific word being a word included in the specific character information detected by the detection processing portion.

INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority fromthe corresponding Japanese Patent Application No. 2015-096167 filed onMay 11, 2015, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein byreference.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to a display device for displayingcharacter information, an information processing apparatus including adisplay device, and a character information display method.

An information processing apparatus such as a printer that performsimage processing based on image data, includes a display portion such asa liquid crystal display. In this type of information processingapparatus, character information such as a message from the informationprocessing apparatus to the user is displayed on the display portion.The character information is displayed in a display area that is set inthe display portion. In addition, in this type of information processingapparatus, a plurality of pieces of character information are displayedas a list in the display area.

Meanwhile, there may be case where a display size of characterinformation displayed in the display portion exceeds the size of thedisplay area set in the display portion. Such a case may occur for thefollowing reason, for example. That is, the display portion provided inthe information processing apparatus may be different in size dependingon the model of the information processing apparatus. When the displayportion is different in size, the display area set in the displayportion may be different in size. As a result, in a case where characterinformation is used in common by a plurality of information processingapparatuses of different models, in an information processing apparatusof a model whose display portion is smaller in size than that of theinformation processing apparatuses of the other models, a display sizeof the character information displayed in the display portion may exceedthe size of the display area. On the other hand, there is known aninformation processing apparatus that can replace a word included in thecharacter information with an abbreviation of the word when a displaysize of the character information displayed on the display portionexceeds the size of the display area.

SUMMARY

A display device according to an aspect of the present disclosureincludes a display portion, a display processing portion, a detectionprocessing portion, and a replacement processing portion. The displayprocessing portion displays a plurality of pieces of characterinformation as a list in a display area set in the display portion. Thedetection processing portion detects specific character information fromamong the plurality of pieces of character information displayed by thedisplay processing portion, the specific character information beingcharacter information whose display size exceeds a size of the displayarea. The replacement processing portion, when the detection processingportion detects the specific character information, replaces eachinstance of a specific word among words included in the plurality ofpieces of character information displayed by the display processingportion, with an abbreviation of the specific word, the specific wordbeing a word included in the specific character information detected bythe detection processing portion.

An information processing apparatus according to another aspect of thepresent disclosure includes a display device. The display deviceincludes a display portion, a display processing portion, a detectionprocessing portion, and a replacement processing portion. The displayprocessing portion displays a plurality of pieces of characterinformation as a list in a display area set in the display portion. Thedetection processing portion detects specific character information fromamong the plurality of pieces of character information displayed by thedisplay processing portion, the specific character information beingcharacter information whose display size exceeds a size of the displayarea. The replacement processing portion, when the detection processingportion detects the specific character information, replaces eachinstance of a specific word among words included in the plurality ofpieces of character information displayed by the display processingportion, with an abbreviation of the specific word, the specific wordbeing a word included in the specific character information detected bythe detection processing portion.

A character information display method according to an aspect of thepresent disclosure is for execution in a display device including adisplay portion, and includes a first step, a second step, and a thirdstep. The first step displays a plurality of pieces of characterinformation as a list in a display area set in the display portion. Thesecond step detects specific character information from among theplurality of pieces of character information displayed by the firststep, the specific character information being character informationwhose display size exceeds a size of the display area. The third step,when the second step detects the specific character information,replaces each instance of a specific word among words included in theplurality of pieces of character information displayed by the firststep, with an abbreviation of the specific word, the specific word beinga word included in the specific character information detected by thesecond step.

This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in asimplified form that are further described below in the DetailedDescription with reference where appropriate to the accompanyingdrawings. This Summary is not intended to identify key features oressential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended tobe used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Furthermore,the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solveany or all disadvantages noted in any part of this disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an image processingapparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the system configuration of the imageprocessing apparatus according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of character data stored in astorage portion of the image processing apparatus according to anembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a display area set in anoperation/display portion of the image processing apparatus according toan embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of abbreviation data stored inthe storage portion of the image processing apparatus according to anembodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a character informationdisplay process executed by the image processing apparatus according toan embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a plurality of pieces ofcharacter information displayed on the operation/display portion of theimage processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure.

FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a plurality of pieces ofcharacter information displayed on a display portion of a conventionalinformation processing apparatus.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of character data stored in thestorage portion of the image processing apparatus according to anembodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following describes an embodiment of the present disclusure withreference to the attached drawings for the understanding of the presentdisclosure. It should be noted that the following embodiment is anexample of a specific embodiment of the present disclosure and shouldnot limit the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[Outlined Configuration of Image Processing Apparatus 10]

First, an outlined configuration of an image processing apparatus 10according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is described withreference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2. Here, FIG. 1 is a schematiccross-sectional view showing the configuration of the image processingapparatus 10.

The image processing apparatus 10 is a multifunction peripheral having aplurality of functions such as a scan function for reading image datafrom a document sheet, a print function for forming an image based onthe image data, a facsimile function, and a copy function. Here, theimage processing apparatus 10 is an example of the informationprocessing apparatus of the present disclosure. It is noted that thepresent disclosure is applicable to information processing apparatusessuch as a scanner device, a printer device, a facsimile device, acopier, a personal computer, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, atelevision, an air conditioner, a washing machine, a refrigerator, and amicrowave.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the image processingapparatus 10 includes an ADF (Auto Document Feeder) 1, an image readingportion 2, an image forming portion 3, a sheet feed portion 4, a controlportion 5, an operation/display portion 6, and a storage portion 7.Here, a device including the control portion 5 and the operation/displayportion 6 is an example of the display device of the present disclosure.

The ADF 1 includes a document sheet setting portion, a plurality ofconveyance rollers, a document sheet pressing, and a sheet dischargeportion, and conveys a document sheet so that it is read by the imagereading portion 2. The image reading portion 2 includes a document sheettable, a light source, a plurality of mirrors, an optical lens, and aCCD, and is configured to read image data from a document sheet.

The image forming portion 3 is configured to form an image by theelectrophotography based on image data read by the image reading portion2 or input from an external information processing apparatus.Specifically, the image forming portion 3 includes a photoconductordrum, a charging device, a laser scanning unit, a developing device, atransfer roller, a cleaning device, a fixing roller, a pressure roller,and a sheet discharge portion. In the image forming portion 3, an imageis formed on a sheet supplied from the sheet feed portion 4, and thesheet with the image formed thereon is discharged by the sheet dischargeportion.

The control portion 5 includes control equipment such as CPU, ROM, andRAM that are not shown. The CPU is a processor that executes variouscalculation processes. The ROM is a nonvolatile storage device in whichvarious information such as control programs for causing the CPU toexecute various processes are stored in advance. The RAM is a volatilestorage medium, and is used as a temporary storage memory (working area)for the various processes executed by the CPU. In the control portion 5,the CPU executes the various control programs stored in advance in theROM. This allows the image processing apparatus 10 to be controlledcomprehensively by the control portion 5. It is noted that the controlportion 5 may be formed as an electronic circuit such as an integratedcircuit (ASIC), and may be a control portion provided independently of amain control portion that comprehensively controls the image processingapparatus 10.

The operation/display portion 6 includes a display portion and anoperation portion. The display portion is, for example, a liquid crystaldisplay and displays various types of information based on controlinstructions from the control portion 5. The operation portion iscomposed of, for example, operation keys or a touch panel through whichvarious types of information are input to the control portion 5 based onuser operations. Here, the operation/display portion 6 is an example ofthe display portion of the present disclosure.

The storage portion 7 is a nonvolatile storage device. The storageportion 7 is, for example, a storage device such as a flash memory, anSSD (Solid State Drive), or an HDD (Hard Disk Drive).

Meanwhile, in the image processing apparatus 10, character informationsuch as a message from the image processing apparatus 10 to the user isdisplayed on the operation/display portion 6. The character informationis displayed in a display area that is set in the operation/displayportion 6. In addition, in the image processing apparatus 10, aplurality of pieces of character information are displayed as a list inthe display area.

Here, there may be case where a display size of character informationdisplayed in the operation/display portion 6 exceeds the size of thedisplay area set in the operation/display portion 6. Such a case mayoccur for the following reason, for example. That is, theoperation/display portion 6 provided in the image processing apparatus10 may be different in size depending on the model of the imageprocessing apparatus 10. When the operation/display portion 6 isdifferent in size, the display area set in the operation/display portion6 may be different in size. As a result, in a case where the characterinformation is used in common in a plurality of image processingapparatuses 10 of different models, a display size of characterinformation displayed in the operation/display portion 6 may exceed thesize of the display area set in an image processing apparatus 10 of amodel whose operation/display portion 6 is smaller in size than theoperation/display portions 6 of image processing apparatuses 10 of othermodels. On the other hand, there is known an information processingapparatus that can replace a word included in character information withan abbreviation of the word when a display size of the characterinformation to be displayed in the operation/display portion 6 exceedsthe size of the display area.

Meanwhile, there may be case where a plurality of pieces of characterinformation displayed as a list on the operation/display portion 6include a piece of character information whose display size exceeds thesize of the display area set in the operation/display portion 6. Whensuch a piece of character information is detected, a word included inthe piece of character information may be replaced with an abbreviationof the word. In that case, however, the word may be included in anyother one of the displayed plurality of pieces of character information.This means that two types of words of the same meaning are included inthe displayed plurality of pieces of character information. In thatcase, while confirming the content of the displayed plurality of piecesof character information, the user may consider that the word and theabbreviation have different meanings. On the other hand, in the imageprocessing apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the presentdisclosure, as described in the following, it is possible to restrictgeneration of misunderstanding in the user confirming the content of theplurality of pieces of character information displayed as a list on theoperation/display portion 6.

Specifically, a character information display program for causing theCPU to execute a character information display process that is describedbelow (see the flowhchart of FIG. 6) is stored in the ROM of the controlportion 5 in advance. It is noted that the character information displayprogram may be recorded on a computer-readable recording medium such asa CD, a DVD, or a flash memory, and may be installed from the recordingmedium to the storage portion 7.

As shown in FIG. 2, the control portion 5 includes an obtainmentprocessing portion 51, a display processing portion 52, a detectionprocessing portion 53, and a replacement processing portion 54.Specifically, the control portion 5 executes the character informationdisplay program stored in the ROM by using the CPU. This allows thecontrol portion 5 to function as the obtainment processing portion 51,the display processing portion 52, the detection processing portion 53,and the replacement processing portion 54.

The obtainment processing portion 51 obtains a plurality of pieces ofcharacter information that are to be displayed as a list on theoperation/display portion 6. Specifically, when a predeterminedobtainment condition is satisfied, the obtainment processing portion 51obtains a plurality of pieces of character information that correspondto the obtainment condition. The obtainment condition includes, forexample, an input of an operation on the operation/display portion 6 toinstruct a diplay of a list of a plurality of pieces of characterinformation that belong to a predetermined item. It is noted that theobtainment condition may include a start or an end of a plurality ofpredetermined processes in the image processing apparatus 10, and anoccurrence of a plurality of errors in the image processing apparatus10.

By way of example, in the image processing apparatus 10, a plurality ofpieces of character data including the character information are storedin the storage portion 7 in advance. It is noted that the character datamay be stored in the ROM of the control portion 5 or a storage deviceprovided in an exernal server or the like.

Here, FIG. 3 shows an example of the character data stored in thestorage portion 7. Character data D11 to D15 shown in FIG. 3 eachinclude identification information, character information, andinformation indicating the number of characters included in thecharacter information. It is noted that the character informationincluded in the character data D11 to D15 shown in FIG. 3 is a text thatindicates relationship between a paper sheet size and amagnification/reduction rate.

In the image processing apparatus 10, the obtainment condition isassociated with a plurality of pieces of identification information inadvance. When the obtainment condition is satisfied, the obtainmentprocessing portion 51 obtains a plurality of pieces of character datafrom the storage portion 7 based on the plurality of pieces ofidentification information associated with the obtainment condition.

The display processing portion 52 displays the plurality of pieces ofcharacter data obtained by the obtainment processing portion 51 as alist in the display area set in the operation/display portion 6. Forexample, when the obtainment condition is satisfied, the displayprocessing portion 52 sets the display area of a predetermined size onan operation screen displayed on the operation/display portion 6. It isnoted that when the obtainment condition is satisfied, the displayprocessing portion 52 may display, on the operation/display portion 6, adisplay screen including the display area of a predetermined size.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the display area set in the operation/displayportion 6. A display area A10 shown in FIG. 4 includes a plurality ofdivided areas A11 to A15. In the divided areas A11 to A15, the characterinformation obtained by the obtainment processing portion 51 isdisplayed. It is noted that in a space above the divided area A11 in thedisplay area A10, the name of an item to which the plurality of piecesof character information displayed in the divided areas A11 to A15belong, is displayed.

The display processing portion 52 displays, in the display area, thecharacter information on which the process of the replacement processingportion 54 has been performed. The replacement processing portion 54 isdescribed below.

The detection processing portion 53 detects specific characterinformation from among the plurality of pieces of character informationdisplayed by the display processing portion 52, wherein the specificcharacter information is character information whose display sizeexceeds the size of the display area. By way of example, the detectionprocessing portion 53 calculates the number of displayable characters,namely, the number of characters that can be displayed in the displayarea set in the operation/display portion 6 by the display processingportion 52, based on a font size that has been set by the initialsetting or a user operation. Subsequently, the detection processingportion 53 determines whether or not the number of characters of thecharacter information included in the character data exceeds the numberof displayable characters of the display area, based on the calculatednumber of displayable characters of the display area and the informationindicating the number of characters included in the characterinformation that was obtained by the obtainment processing portion 51.Upon determining that the number of characters of the characterinformation exceeds the number of displayable characters of the displayarea, the detection processing portion 53 detects the characterinformation as the specific character information.

Hereinafter, a word included in the specific character informationdetected by the detection processing portion 53 is referred to as aspecific word. After the detection processing portion 53 detects thespecific character information, the replacement processing portion 54replaces each instance of a specific word among words included in theplurality of pieces of character information displayed by the displayprocessing portion 52, with the abbreviation of the specific word. Byway of example, the replacement processing portion 54 replaces as manyspecific words as corresponding to an excessive amount of the displaysize of the specific character information with respect to the size ofthe display area, with abbreviations of the specific words.

By way of example, in the image processing apparatus 10, the storageportion 7 stores abbreviation data which includes one or more words andone or more abbreviations that respectively correspond to the one ormore words. It is noted that the abbreviation data may be stored in theROM of the control portion 5, or may be stored in a storage deviceincluded in an external server or the like.

FIG. 5 shows an example of the abbreviation data stored in the storageportion 7. Abbreviation data D21 to D24 shown in FIG. 5 each includeinformation indicating words, and information indicating abbreviationsof the words.

After a piece of specific character information is detected, thereplacement processing portion 54 extracts a word of the largest numberof characters from among words included in the detected specificcharacter information, and obtains a piece of abbreviation data thatincludes the extracted word (specific word), from the storage portion 7.Subsequently, the replacement processing portion 54 replaces eachspecific word among the words included in the plurality of pieces ofcharacter information obtained by the obtainment processing portion 51,with an abbreviation included in the obtained piece of abbreviationdata.

After the replacement of the specific word with the abbreviation, if thedisplay size of the specific character information exceeds the size ofthe display area, the replacement processing portion 54 extracts a wordof the next largest number of characters from among the words includedin the detected specific character information, and obtains a piece ofabbreviation data that includes the extracted word (specific word), fromthe storage portion 7. Subsequently, the replacement processing portion54 replaces each specific word among the words included in the pluralityof pieces of character information obtained by the obtainment processingportion 51, with an abbreviation included in the obtained piece ofabbreviation data.

Thereafter, the replacement processing portion 54 repeatedly executesthe above-described process on the words included in the specificcharacter information until the display size of the specific characterinformation becomes equal to or smaller than the size of the displayarea. It is noted that the replacement processing portion 54 may executethe above-described process in an order that is different from theabove-described order, on a plurality of words included in the specificcharacter information.

Meanwhile, in the image processing apparatus 10, the storage portion 7may store, in advance, a plurality of pieces of replacement characterinformation which respectively correspond to the plurality of pieces ofcharacter information, wherein in each of the plurality of pieces ofreplacement character information, one or more words included in thecorresponding piece of character information have been replaced withabbreviations of the words. For example, the character data D11 to D15stored in the storage portion 7 may each include the replacementcharacter information as well as the identification information, thecharacter information, and the information indicating the number ofcharacters included in the character information, as shown in FIG. 9.

In the above-described case, after the detection processing portion 53detects specific character information, the replacement processingportion 54 replaces a plurality of pieces of character informationdisplayed by the display processing portion 52 with corresponding piecesof replacement character information.

[Character Information Display Process]

In the following, with reference to FIG. 6, a description is given of anexample of the procedure of the character information display processexecuted by the control portion 5 in the image processing apparatus 10,and the character information display method of the present disclosure.Here, steps S11, S12, . . . represent numbers assigned to the processingprocedures (steps) executed by the control portion 5.

<Step S11>

First, in step S11, the control portion 5 determines whether or not theobtainment condition is satisfied. For example, the control portion 5determines that the obtainment condition is satisfied if an operationhas been input to the operation/display portion 6 to instruct a diplayof a list of relationship between paper sheet sizes andmagnification/reduction rates.

Upon determining that the obtainment condition is satisfied (Yes side atS11), the control portion 5 moves the process to step S12. In addition,upon determining that the obtainment condition is not satisfied (No sideat S11), the control portion 5 causes the process to wait at step S11until it determinines that the obtainment condition is satisfied.

<Step S12>

In step S12, the control portion 5 obtains a plurality of pieces ofcharacter information that correspond to the obtainment condition thatwas judged to be satisfied in step S11. By way of example, the controlportion 5 obtains character data D11 to D15 shown in FIG. 3 from thestorage portion 7, based on a plurality of pieces of identificationinformation associated with the obtainment condition. Here, theprocesses of step S11 and step S12 are executed by the obtainmentprocessing portion 51 of the control portion 5.

<Step S13>

In step S13, the control portion 5 sets a display area of apredetermined size in the operation screen displayed on theoperation/display portion 6. For example, the control portion 5 displaysthe display area A10 shown in FIG. 4 on the operation/display portion 6.Here, the process of step S13 is executed by the display processingportion 52 of the control portion 5.

<Step S14>

In step S14, the control portion 5 determines whether or not a piece ofcharacter information, among the plurality of pieces of characterinformation obtained in step S12, is specific character information. Forexample, the control portion 5 determines whether or not a piece ofcharacter information among the character data D12 obtained in step S12,is specific character information.

By way of example, the control portion 5 calculates the number ofdisplayable characters of the display area A10 set in step S13, based ona font size that has been set by the initial setting or a useroperation. Subsequently, the control portion 5 determines whether or notthe number of characters of the character information included in thecharacter data D12 obtained in step S12 exceeds the number ofdisplayable characters of the display area A10, based on the calculatednumber of displayable characters of the display area A10 and theinformation indicating the number of characters of the characterinformation included in the character data D12 obtained in step S12.Upon determining that the number of characters of the characterinformation included in the character data D12 exceeds the number ofdisplayable characters of the display area A10, the control portion 5determines that the character information included in the character dataD12 is specific character information. For example, when the calculatednumber of displayable characters of the display area A10 is 18, thecontrol portion 5 determines that the character information included inthe character data D12 is specific character information.

Here, upon determining that the piece of character information, amongthe plurality of pieces of character information obtained in step S12,is specific character information (Yes side at S14), the control portion5 moves the process to step S15. In addition, upon determining that thepiece of character information is not specific character information (Noside at S14), the control portion 5 moves the process to step S16.

<Step S15>

In step S15, the control portion 5 replaces each instance of thespecific word among words included in the plurality of pieces ofcharacter information obtained in step S12, with the abbreviation of thespecific word, wherein the specific word is a word included in the pieceof character information that was determined as specific characterinformation in step S14. Here, the process of step S15 is an example ofthe third step of the present disclosure, and is executed by thereplacement processing portion 54 of the control portion 5.

By way of example, upon determining in step S14 that the piece ofcharacter information included in the character data D12 is specificcharacter information, the control portion 5 extracts, from the piece ofcharacter information, a word “statement” that contains the largestnumber of characters in the words included in the piece of characterinformation, and obtains abbreviation data D22 that includes theextracted word “statement” from the storage portion 7. Subsequently, thecontrol portion 5 replaces each instance of the word (specific word)“statement” among words in a plurality of pieces of characterinformation included in the character data D11 to D15 obtained in stepS12, with abbreviation “STMT” that is included in the obtainedabbreviation data D22.

In addition, after the replacement of the word “statement” with theabbreviation “STMT”, if the display size of the character informationincluded in the character data D12 exceeds the size of the display areaA10, the control portion 5 extracts a word “letter” having the nextlargest number of characters from the character information included inthe character data D12, and obtains abbreviation data D23 that includesthe extracted word “letter” from the storage portion 7. Subsequently,the control portion 5 replaces each instance of the word (specific word)“letter” among words in a plurality of pieces of character informationincluded in the character data D11 to D15 obtained in step S12, withabbreviation “LTR” included in the obtained abbreviation data D23.

It is noted that when the character data D11 to D15 stored in thestorage portion 7 each include the replacement character information asshown in FIG. 9, the control portion 5, in step S15, may replace theplurality of pieces of character information obtained in step S12 withthe corresponding pieces of replacement character information. In thatcase, the control portion 5 executes the process of step S17 after theprocess of step S15. This simplifies the processes of steps S14 to S16.

<Step S16>

In step S16, the control portion 5 determines whether or not thedetermination in step S14 of whether or not character information isspecific character information has been made for each of the pluralityof pieces of character information obtained in step S12.

Here, upon determining that the determination in step S14 of whether ornot character information is specific character information has beenmade for each of the plurality of pieces of character informationobtained in step S12 (Yes side at S16), the control portion 5 moves theprocess to step S17. In addition, upon determining that thedetermination in step S14 of whether or not character information isspecific character information has not been made for each of theplurality of pieces of character information obtained in step S12 (Noside at S16), the control portion 5 moves the process to step S14. Instep S14 executed again, the control portion 5 makes the determinationof whether or not character information is specific characterinformation, on a piece of character information on which thedetermination has not been made. Here, the processes of step S14 andstep S16 are an example of the second step of the present disclosure,and are executed by the detection processing portion 53 of the controlportion 5.

<Step S17>

In step S17, the control portion 5 displays the plurality of pieces ofcharacter information which were obtained in step S12 and on which theprocess of step S15 was executed, as a list in the display area set instep S13. Here, the process of step S17 is an example of the first stepof the present disclosure, and is executed by the display processingportion 52 of the control portion 5.

The control portion 5 displays the plurality of pieces of characterinformation included in the character data D11 to D15 in the dividedareas A11 to A15 of the display area A10 in a font size that has beenset by the initial setting or a user operation.

Here, FIG. 7 shows an example of the plurality of pieces of characterinformation displayed as a list in the display area A10 in step S17. Itis noted that FIG. 7 shows a display example for a case where in stepS14, the number of displayable characters of the display area A10 iscalculated as 18. As a result, specific words (“statement” and “letter”)included in each piece of character information of the character dataD11, D12, D13 and D15 that includes more than 18 characters, among aplurality of pieces of character information of the character data D11to D15, have been replaced with abbreviations (“STMT” and “LTR”) of thespecific words.

On the other hand, FIG. 8 shows a display example of the plurality ofpieces of character information displayed as a list in a display areaA20 set in a display portion of a conventional information processingapparatus. According to the conventional information processingapparatus, if, among a plurality of pieces of character informationdisplayed as a list, there is a piece of specific character informationwhose display size exceeds the size of the display area A20, only one ormore words included in the specific character information are replacedwith abbreviations. As a result, in the conventional informationprocessing apparatus, as shown in FIG. 8, both of the word “letter” andthe abbreviation “LTR” that have the same meaning may be included in theplurality of pieces of character information displayed as a list.

On the other hand, in the image processing apparatus 10, each instanceof the one or more words included in the plurality of pieces ofcharacter information displayed as a list is replaced with anabbreviation thereof. Thus, as shown in FIG. 7, it does not happen thatboth of the word “letter” and the abbreviation “LTR” that have the samemeaning are included in the plurality of pieces of character informationdisplayed as a list.

As described above, in the character information display process, when apiece of specific character information is detected, each instance ofthe specific word (_(a wor)d included in the detected piece of specificcharacter information) among words included in the plurality of piecesof character information displayed as a list in the display area isreplaced with an abbreviation of the specific word. This prevents a wordand an abbreviation that have the same meaning from being included inthe plurality of pieces of character information displayed as a list. Itis thus possible to restrict generation of misunderstanding in the userconfirming the content of the plurality of pieces of characterinformation displayed as a list on the operation/display portion 6.

It is to be understood that the embodiments herein are illustrative andnot restrictive, since the scope of the disclosure is defined by theappended claims rather than by the description preceding them, and allchanges that fall within metes and bounds of the claims, or equivalenceof such metes and bounds thereof are therefore intended to be embracedby the claims.

1. A display device comprising: a display portion; a display processingportion configured to display a plurality of pieces of characterinformation as a list in a display area set in the display portion; adetection processing portion configured to detect specific characterinformation from among the plurality of pieces of character informationdisplayed by the display processing portion, the specific characterinformation being character information whose display size exceeds asize of the display area; and a replacement processing portionconfigured to, when the detection processing portion detects thespecific character information, replace each instance of a specific wordamong words included in the plurality of pieces of character informationdisplayed by the display processing portion, with an abbreviation of thespecific word, the specific word being a word included in the specificcharacter information detected by the detection processing portion. 2.The display device according to claim 1, wherein the replacementprocessing portion replaces as many specific words as corresponding toan excessive amount of the display size of the specific characterinformation with respect to the size of the display area, withabbreviations of the specific words.
 3. The display device according toclaim 1, wherein the replacement processing portion replaces each of theplurality of pieces of character information displayed by the displayprocessing portion with a piece of replacement character information inwhich a word included in a respective piece of character information hasbeen replaced with an abbreviation of the word.
 4. An informationprocessing apparatus comprising: the display device according toclaim
 1. 5. The information processing apparatus according to claim 4comprising either or both of an image reading portion and an imageforming portion, the image reading portion being configured to readimage data from a document sheet, the image forming portion beingconfigured to form an image based on image data.
 6. A characterinformation display method for execution in a display device including adisplay portion, the character information display method comprising: afirst step of displaying a plurality of pieces of character informationas a list in a display area set in the display portion; a second step ofdetecting specific character information from among the plurality ofpieces of character information displayed by the first step, thespecific character information being character information whose displaysize exceeds a size of the display area; and a third step of, when thesecond step detects the specific character information, replacing eachinstance of a specific word among words included in the plurality ofpieces of character information displayed by the first step, with anabbreviation of the specific word, the specific word being a wordincluded in the specific character information detected by the secondstep.